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"Two couples were awarded nearly $4.25 million
on Thursday after a federal jury found one of the largest natural
gas producers in Pennsylvania was responsible for the contamination
of their well water, capping a six-year odyssey that turned their
sleepy village into a battleground over the nation’s shale
drilling and hydraulic fracturing boom." - Timesleader
L-R- Daughter of Ray Hubert, Beth Radow, Monica
Marta-Ely, Scott Ely, Atty Leslie Lewis, Ray Hubert, Lewis' sister,
& Victoria Hubert . _- PHOTO ©
Vera Scroggins for Public Herald
Poisoning
Ground Water With Toxic Chemicals
Dimock, PA Polluted Tap Water - Faucet Water on FIRE
from Methane, Bradford Co. PA
Hydrofracturing ("Fracking") is the high-pressure
pumping of water & toxic chemicals (Frack Fluid) into underground
shale rock, shattering it to release natural gas. Methane gas &
radon. While the later two are naturally occurring- drilling allows
them all to migrate & contaminate ground water used for drinking
water. Worse most of the toxic Frack Fluid initially remains underground
for an extended time, free to migrate & pollute reservoirs &
well drinking water- deadly to humans, animals/livestock & food
crops.
Northeast
PA Water Drilling Contamination
Click
Map to Enlarge or Download
Waste
From Gas Drilling & Fracking
Fracking produces large amounts of Liquid & Solid
Waste that can contain harmful pollutants that include Toxic Chemicals
mixed in Fracking Fluid such as ethylene glycol, naphthalene, &
sulfuric acid, along with Naturally-Occurring contaminants, including
Radioactivity, thousands of feet below.
After Drilling & Fracking besides the released Natural Gas coming
to the surface, there is “Flowback Water” ( fracking fluid
that returns to the surface after a well is fracked including Brine
) & “Produced Water” ( water which has been in the
ground and mixed with naturally occurring materials such as arsenic,
lead, radium, barium, strontium & salts.)
Ground water, reservoir & private wells have been contaminated
by gas drilling- most notably in wells of nearby Dimock, PA. shown
in "Gasland."
Drilling produces other waste, including Drill Cuttings (drilled
rock) & drilling muds. Waste material may include Sand used
to prop open fissures.
Off-site re-use & disposal methods for fracking waste include
road spreading of Brine ( Salt Water ), wastewater treatment, underground
injection into wells, & landfill disposal.
Hydraulic
Fracturing Water Cycle
Chemicals: 140,000 lbs. of dry chemicals per
fracking include; benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, & more. 65
are classified as hazardous waste. Many cause cancer or birth defects.
Fresh Water Used: 2-9 million gallons used
per well fracking, taken from our ponds, streams, lakes, & aquifers
for a very minimal cost & creating hundreds of Water Truck trips.
1
- Withdrawal & Collection of Surface & Ground Water
2 - Mixing of Toxic Frack Chemicals with collected Water
3 - Hydraulic Fracturing of Shale with Frack Chemical Water
4 - Impoundment of "Flowback Water" & "Produced
Water"
5 - Treatment, Well Disposal, & Recycle of Frack Wastewater
Wastewater
Treatment
Many Public & Private Water Treatment Facilities do not have
the capability to treat fracking wastewater to meet safe EPA &
State requirements.
PA has demonstrated that frack wastewater can wreak havoc if sent
to typical Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants unequipped to handle
it, causing equipment damage & water pollution from the discharge
of billions of gallons of partially treated wastewater into PA’s
waterways.
Landfill
Disposal of Solids from Wastewater
Drill cuttings, sludge, fracking sand, & other waste from both
conventional, low-volume fracking and high-volume horizontal fracking
sent to landfills for disposal. Sludge & other Solids separated
from Frack Wastewater are concentrated to more Toxic Contamination
& higher Radioactive Levels.
Contamination
of Ground Water & Aquifers
1 - Millions of Gallons of Water with Toxic
Chemicals & Sand (Frack Fluid) are injected into the gas well.
2 - Toxic Frack Fluid spills from poorly constructed open
Flowback Pits, Pipes, Open Valves, & Frack Truck accidents contaminate
local rivers & streams, seeping into Aquifers.
3 - Frack Fluid leaks through cracked &
failed Gas Well Casings & travels through fissures & contaminates
Water Aquifers.
4 - Fracking - Fluid pressure fractures the
Shale while Sand holds the crack open to allow the Methane Gas release
& also forces the Toxic Frack Fluid upwards.
5 - About 80% of Frack Fluid stays in the ground
intially & is NOT Biodegradable & is free to Migrate over
time.
6 - Aquifers are Contaminated from Surface
Spills & Well Casing Failures.
7 - Residential Water Wells are polluted from
Contaminated Water Aquifers & become unsafe for Drinking, etc.
8 - Concentrated Methane Gas creates Flammable
Water & Toxic Fumes
Click for Myths & Facts about Hydraulic Fracturing:
http://www.earthworksaction.org/publications.cfm?pubiD=395
Drilling
Near Reservoirs Threatens Drinking Water
Sites that were targeted for gas drilling in Lake
Township are less than a 1/2 mile to Havery's Lake- & in contamination
distances to Huntsville & Ceasetown Reservoirs that supply drinking
water to a 100,000 people. Alarmingly, 2 leases for drilling were
on the shore & adjacent to the Huntsville Reservoir itself.
MAP of Huntsville/Ceasestown
ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005- key paragraphs:
SEC. 322. HYDRAULIC FRACTURING.
Paragraph (1) of section 1421(d) of the Safe Drinking Water Act
(42 U.S.C. 300h(d)) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(1) UNDERGROUND INJECTION.—The term ‘underground
injection’—
‘‘(A) means the subsurface emplacement of fluids by well
injection; and
‘‘(B) excludes—
‘‘(i) the underground injection of natural gas for purposes
of storage; and
‘‘(ii) the underground injection of fluids or propping
agents (other than diesel fuels) pursuant to hydraulic fracturing
operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities.’’.
SEC. 323. OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION DEFINED.
Section 502 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C.
1362) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(24) OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION.—The
term ‘oil and gas exploration, production, processing, or treatment
operations or transmission facilities’ means all field activities
or operations associated with exploration, production, processing,
or treatment operations, or transmission facilities, including activities
necessary to prepare a site for drilling and for the movement and
placement of drilling equipment, whether or not such field activities
or operations may be considered to be construction activities.’’.
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